Total Covid-19 cases
View charts and mapsConfirmed
37,475,106Deaths
1,068,511England's medical advisers say death toll will be ‘too great to bear’ without more curbs
Harry Dempsey in London
Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, warned that if measures were not taken to control coronavirus infections, the death toll will be "too great to bear".
“The claim that, without taking further action, the elderly can be fenced off from further risk I’m afraid is proving to be wishful thinking,” Mr Powis said, on a day when more coronavirus patients are in hospital than when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March.
Mr Powis was speaking with Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, ahead of the prime minister announcing later on Monday tougher restrictions in England.
Data for England showed that 3,451 people are in hospital with Covid-19 as of Sunday, whereas there were 3,097 on March 23 when the nationwide lockdown rules were announced.
Mr Powis said that the health service in areas that will have tougher lockdown restrictions placed on them will introduce testing for frontline workers even if they are asymptomatic. Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate have been put on a higher state of alert.
Mr Van-Tam said hospital admissions and deaths were certain to follow the rise in cases, as he warned of a lag, of which there has been a “marked pickup” across the country.
The rate of growth in infections in the north of England has been particularly strong, while in the south of the country it has begun to rise too.
Vue to close quarter of cinemas on weekdays without blockbusters
Alice Hancock in London
Vue, the international cinema chain, has joined other multiplex operators in cutting its number of screenings as the cinema industry reels from the impact of major blockbusters being postponed until next year.
The privately-owned cinema group said on Monday that it would close just over a quarter of its UK sites on weekdays in order to cut costs until the big Hollywood releases return in the spring.
The announcement follows those of rival operators Odeon, which has also limited a quarter of sites to weekend-only viewings, and Cineworld, which said last week that it would close its entire UK and US estate putting 45,000 jobs at risk.
The pandemic has laid bare cinema operators reliance on movie studios for big releases to drive footfall as well as the threat to the industry's business model from streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The delay of the upcoming MGM film No Time to Die, the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise, from November until April next year prompted the spate of temporary closures with many independent screens also closing their doors.
Vue said: "Our belief in the future of this industry is unshaken...we are looking forward to returning to full steam as soon as Hollywood studios start releasing the content which audiences are clamouring for.”
The company operates 228 screens across 10 countries.
India unveils $10bn stimulus package to support ailing economy
Amy Kazmin in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government aims to inject around $10bn into its collapsing economy, with schemes to put money into the hands of civil servants, boost capital expenditure and bolster the finances of cash-strapped state governments.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the initiatives on Monday, amid gripes that New Delhi has done too little to shore up its faltering economy, which contracted 24 per cent year-on-year in the April-to-June quarter.
Ms Sitharaman said New Delhi will boost its $56.5bn capital expenditure budget for the current April to June financial year by 6 per cent. The additional $3.4bn will be devoted to spending on roads, water supply, supply and defence infrastructure.
It will also give a total of $1.6bn in 50-year, interest-free loans to cash-strapped state governments to use for capital expenditure, including repayment of outstanding debts.
The government is encouraging higher spending by civil servants by allowing them to use money normally spent on tickets to visit their hometowns to purchase consumer goods. However, the schemes come with numerous conditions.
Markets reacted coolly to the package. Economists said it was unlikely to have much impact on consumer demand as it puts more money into the hands of those least affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Bank of England letter taps banks on negative rate readiness
Valentina Romei in London
The Bank of England is assessing how prepared banks are for zero or negative policy rates to “assess the appropriateness of a negative official Bank rate alongside all of its other tools”.
The central bank on Monday sent a letter, in keeping with what it said in September minutes, to ask banks to complete a form about their readiness to deal with a zero or negative rate and and "the steps that you would need to take to prepare for the implementation of these”.
Banks must reply to the request of information by November 12, the Thursday after the next monetary policy announcement.
The BoE specified that the letter was “not indicative that the [monetary policy committee] will employ a zero or negative policy rate”.
It noted that the collection of information was “not asking firms to begin taking steps” to ensure they are operationally ready to implement a negative bank rate.
The central bank's monetary policy committee said in August and highlighted in September minutes that it would start the assessment.
Interest rates in the UK have fallen to historically low levels since the global financial crisis in 2008. The BoE policy rate is at 0.1 per cent. Some major central banks have introduced negative interest rates as an additional tool to stimulate the economy.
The pressure for more action from the BoE increased last week as incoming data showed that UK economic growth faltered in August even before a surge in infections in September and as restrictions were tightened.
Tiered lockdown system aims to control virus by January, minister says
Harry Dempsey in London
The UK culture secretary said that the three-tier system of local lockdowns in England set to be announced on Monday by Boris Johnson aimed to get a hold on the coronavirus by January.
Oliver Dowden said that the purpose of the system, the basic principle of which is an area will be subject to tougher restrictions if it has a higher level of coronavirus infections, is to ensure that “by the time we get through to after Christmas that we get to the position where it is under control.”
That timeline is more optimistic than previous forecasts by government officials, who said that restrictions would be necessary for six months to March to get the virus under control.
The prime minister is expected to announce tough restrictions in the worst affected “very high" alert areas — set to include Liverpool city region and Warrington — that would involve the closure of pubs and residents being told not to travel without good reason.
Steve Rotheram, Liverpool metro mayor, said on BBC Breakfast on Monday that local authorities were given no say in which tier they fall under, but the system would give more local control on test and trace, as well as enforcement.
He added that it was unclear under what conditions it could come out of the top tier, also known as tier three.
“We want some assurity from national government that if we hit some of the milestones, we can come out of tier three very quickly.”
Pubs and bars, betting shops, casinos and adult gaming centres, and also gyms will close but restaurants will remain open, Mr Rotheram said.
Mr Dowden responded to criticism from the hospitality industry that evidence has not been shown that their venues are contributing to the spread of the virus by saying that customers spend time with people they would not normally, wearing face masks is hard and there is often a lack of ventilation.
Cruz to step down as chief at BA with immediate effect
Sarah Provan
Alex Cruz is to step down as chief executive at British Airways with immediate effect as part of other senior management changes at its parent International Airlines Group.
Sean Doyle, chief executive at the Irish airline Aer Lingus, will become chief executive of BA and will take over as chairman from Mr Cruz after a transition period, IAG said on Monday.
“We’re navigating the worst crisis faced in our industry and I’m confident these internal promotions will ensure IAG is well placed to emerge in a strong position,” said IAG chief executive Luis Gallego as he announced the changes.
Mr Cruz was appointed BA chairman and chief executive in 2016.
At Aer Lingus, Donal Moriarty, the Irish airline’s chief corporate affairs officer, will become interim chief executive. A permanent appointment will be announced in due course.
China orders mass testing after Qingdao outbreak
Christian Shepherd in Beijing
A popular tourist destination on China’s east coast has launched a mass coronavirus testing drive after discovering several infections linked to a local hospital.
Health authorities in Qingdao, a city known for its beaches and Tsingtao beer, said on Monday that all residents would be tested over the next five days in an attempt to halt the reemergence of coronavirus in China after more than six weeks with zero reported cases.
Over the weekend, the Qingdao government discovered three asymptomatic cases with links to the Qingdao Chest Hospital. Contact tracing revealed an additional nine cases.
That hospital has now been closed, while a second local hospital has been assigned as a backup facility for coronavirus patients.
Since late March, when China first said it had controlled spread of the virus, the country has adopted a series of radical measures to smother new outbreaks, mandating citywide testing and strict lockdowns for even small numbers of infections.
In recent months, a number of large events, postponed from the initial days of the outbreak, have gone ahead, including the Qingdao beer festival in August.
Chinese state media reported that 637m trips were made by domestic travellers during last week’s National Day holiday.
India braced for festival season amid Covid-19 fatigue
Amy Kazmin in New Delhi
India’s confirmed coronavirus caseload crossed the threshold of 7m over the weekend, as the country approaches its busy festival season while fatigue has set in with mask-wearing and social distancing.
Nearly 110,000 Indians are confirmed to have died so far from Covid-19 and its complications since the start of the pandemic, which has played havoc with India’s economy.
India added its latest 1 million cases — and 12,800 deaths — over the past 13 days, though its average daily new cases nationwide has fallen by about 20 per cent over the past three weeks.
The country's average daily new caseload is now around 75,000, down from a peak of 93,000 in mid-September. Active cases have fallen to around 870,000 as the number of daily new infection falls, and patients infected earlier either recover or die.
But while the total confirmed caseload is now 7.1m, experts say the number of people that have been infected is undoubtedly far higher, and possibly 100m by now.
Epidemiologists say some of India’s biggest, hardest-hit cities appear to have reached the point where the spread of the virus is slowing, as critical numbers of people have already been exposed to it.
But they warn that other cities, including the southern technology hub of Bangalore, the sprawling eastern city of Kolkata, and the financial capital Mumbai as well as in the south-western state of Kerala, are now reporting record numbers of new daily infections.
Rijo John, a health economist and guest lecturer at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode in Kerala, tweeted that the country appears to have passed a peak, but added that now is “not a time to drop guard and celebrate”.
Dr John wrote that infections in many states and districts were setting new highs. “With impending state elections and festive season, one shouldn’t be surprised to see a rebound of cases in many places,” he said.
White House calls for aid to US small businesses
James Politi in Washington
The Trump administration on Sunday called on Congress to release about $135bn in unspent aid to small businesses after its latest offer of a $1.8tn economic stimulus package was rebuffed by many Democrats and Republicans.
The appeal from Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, marks their latest shift in the talks, as they have frequently wavered between a big deal and limited solutions.
They demanded an immediate vote on a bill that would free up unused money from the Paycheck Protection Program, the small business rescue scheme set up at the start of the coronavirus pandemic which has now expired.
Read more here
Positive tests delay US college football game
A spate of positive Covid-19 results at Baylor University in Texas has forced the US Big 12 Conference to push back a college football game against Oklahoma State University by two months.
The athletic organisation announced late on Sunday that the October 17 fixture would be rescheduled to December 12.
"Upon the recommendation of medical advisors, Baylor is suspending football operations temporarily after multiple positive Covid-19 test results," the conference said on its website.
Neither the Big 12 nor Baylor identified those people who had tested positive.
Unlike the Big-10 and Pac-12 conferences, which cancelled then rescheduled their 2020 seasons, the Big 12 has maintained its autumn schedule would continue despite the pandemic.
Divorce lawyers cash in on pandemic tension
Lucy Warwick-Ching in London
For New York divorce lawyer Nancy Chemtob the Covid-19 pandemic has meant phone calls from a lot of unhappy couples. Her clients — wealthy celebrities, entrepreneurs and professionals — have found it just as hard to get along with their spouses under lockdown as many other people with much less money.
“People come to me and tell me they have spent years married to someone who works round the clock as, say, a hedge fund manager or a lawyer, and now they are being forced to quarantine with that person day in, day out — the cracks in their relationship are starting to show,” she said.
Ms Chemtob, founding partner of law firm Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda, said that for some families lockdown has been a rare opportunity to spend time together, but for others the situation has become impossible.
Read more here
Japan reports higher machinery orders than expected
Japan's cabinet office on Monday reported a second straight month of higher machinery orders, indicating a resilience in capital spending despite the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Private-sector machinery orders, excluding volatile ones for ships and those from electric power companies, increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.2 per cent in August, following a rise of 6.3 per cent in July.
Economists in a Reuters poll had forecast a contraction of minus 1 per cent for August.
The total value of machinery orders received by 280 manufacturers operating in Japan increased by 19.8 per cent in August from the previous month on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to cabinet office data.
South Korean sports fans head back to stadiums
Edward White and Kang Buseong
South Korea’s passionate baseball fans are allowed back into stadiums in the latest sign that the country is again returning closer to normal as the government unwinds coronavirus restrictions.
The Korea Baseball Organization said that from Tuesday stadiums will be able to allow fans in, up to 20 per cent of capacity. Temperatures will be checked on entry.
Other major sports organisations, including football and basketball, are planning to allow fans back to watch games live, Yonhap, the state news agency reported.
Seoul on Sunday eased social distancing levels to the lowest level in a three-tiered system as the daily rate of virus infections has been mostly back in double digits over recent weeks.
Baseball has been played in South Korea in front of photographs of fans
In August, South Korea grappled with its worst virus outbreak in six months with a resurgence of cases.
At the new social distancing level, higher-risk facilities including gyms and noraebang, popular karaoke bars, are also allowed to open although officials have advised against large-scale events. Caps on school classes are also eased.
Park Neung-hoo, the health minister, cautioned that a new outbreak could “come at any time”, given continued community transmission of Covid-19.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Monday reported 68 new local Covd-19 infections, taking the total caseload to 24,000 in the country of 52m.
UK to overhaul counter-extremism strategy
Bethan Staton and Helen Warrell in London
The UK government is set to overhaul its counter-extremism strategy and introduce a new programme against hateful behaviour, according to Whitehall officials.
The expected overhaul of the government’s strategy means flagship Home Office projects such as Building a Stronger Britain Together, which funds community groups to work against extremism, face an uncertain future.
Groups were not offered funding as normal this year due to budget constraints caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government official.
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China to ban breeding of 45 species over disease fears
China will ban the breeding of 45 species by the end of this year in a bid to reduce the risk of animal-to-human disease transmission, state-run media reported.
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration plans to phase out breeding of bamboo rats, civets, porcupines and many other mammals, the Shanghai-based Sixth Tone website reported at the weekend.
Under the move, prompted by the Covid-19 outbreak, another 19 species could continue to be bred, but only for purposes other than meat.
Sixth Tone said about 14m people in China earned their living from breeding wild animals.
Farmers deprived of their livelihoods would be able to seek compensation, the website reported, but quoted an official as saying the bureaucratic process was “lagging behind”.
Squarespace takes step to listing with CFO hire
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York
Squarespace, the New York company that makes software to help businesses build websites, has hired a chief financial officer with public company experience in its latest step towards an anticipated stock market listing.
Anthony Casalena, its founder and chief executive, told the Financial Times that Squarespace had not yet filed confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission to prepare for an initial public offering, chosen a bank to advise it or decided whether a direct listing would be preferable.
The coronavirus pandemic has boosted Squarespace and its peers, raising expectations that a listing would value the company well above the $1.7bn level at which General Atlantic Partners bought $200m of stock in 2017.
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Coronavirus persists on cash and phones, study shows
Jamie Smyth in Sydney
The virus responsible for Covid-19 can survive for up to 28 days on common surfaces such as bank notes and mobile phone screens, much longer than previously thought, new research has found.
The study by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, also found the virus survives longer at lower temperatures and on non-porous or smooth surfaces such as glass, stainless steel, rather than porous surfaces such as cotton.
It concluded the virus can remain infectious for a significantly longer time than generally considered possible on contaminated surfaces, which reinforces the need for good sanitation practices to mitigate its spread.
“This research shows that we need to continue to wash our hands and sanitise door handles, cutlery, cash machines and other commonly used surfaces,” said Trevor Drew, director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, which led the study that was published in Virology Journal on Monday.
However, he said the research was performed under “a worst-case scenario” method that was likely to have extended the maximum length of time that the virus could survive and remain infectious on surfaces.
For example, the CSIRO research was conducted in the dark to negate the effects of ultraviolet light, which can kill the virus, and high viral loads were used, Mr Drew told the Financial Times.
An earlier study using a different method published in The Lancet in April found no infectious virus could be detected on glass or bank notes after four days, or after seven days on stainless steel.
Nevertheless, the CSIRO research provides important data that may inform disinfection procedures and highlight the potential infection risk posed by different surfaces and imported products.
In August scientists in New Zealand suggested an outbreak of Covid-19 might have been linked to imported refrigerated freight.
AMC rescue bonds hit in cinema crisis
Joe Rennison and Alice Hancock in London
Investors who took a risk lending money to the world’s largest cinema operator in April are facing losses after the deepening coronavirus crisis wiped more than $175m from the value of the bond.
AMC Entertainment, which runs AMC Theatres in the US and Odeon in the UK, has suffered severe strain as global lockdowns and social distancing measures have hit attendance at its cinemas.
The company managed in April to borrow $500m in the bond markets but growing concerns have since driven the bond down to about 65 cents on the dollar, making it one of the pandemic's worst-performing rescue financings.
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Myanmar reports record rise in new cases
Health workers collect swab samples in Yangon
Myanmar reported a record number of new cases of coronavirus at the weekend, according to government data.
"A total of 16,312 laboratory samples were examined ... and 2,158 new patients were confirmed with Covid-19," according to a Ministry of Health and Sports statement on Saturday.
Another 1,910 new cases were announced on Sunday, along with 48 deaths.
The south-east Asian nation has locked down Yangon, the economic capital, and travel within the country has been halted.
A total of 27,974 cases and 646 deaths have been reported in Myanmar. Most of the cases have emerged in a second wave that began in mid-August.
FCA action against companies fell at start of pandemic
Matthew Vincent in London
The City of London regulator took significantly less action over financial misconduct at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with enforcement cases against companies and individuals falling 76 per cent in the period around the national lockdown.
Data obtained from the Financial Conduct Authority show that only 36 new enforcement cases were opened between March 1 and May 31 this year, compared with 148 during the same period in 2019.
Of these cases, those involving companies were more sharply reduced, with only 14 being started between March and May, compared with 73 in the same period one year earlier. New cases against individuals fell to 22, from 75 a year earlier.
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New Covid-19 cases in UAE exceed 1,000 daily
New coronavirus cases in the United Arab Emirates continue to emerge at a rate of more than 1,000 a day, official media reported at the weekend.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention reported 1,096 new cases on Sunday, bringing the country's total number recorded to 106,229.
There were 1,129 new cases announced on Saturday, while three deaths occurred over the weekend, taking the country's toll to 445.
Daily new cases have hovered around 1,000 since October 5.
Health ministry spokeswoman Farida al-Hosani said the increase is largely due to non-compliance with physical distancing measures and the wearing of masks.
Officials in the Gulf country of 9m people have closed down dozens of shops and offices and fined hundreds of people for violations.
A Dubai office was shut down at the weekend after its opening ceremony breached crowd limits, the official Wam news agency reported.
Clubs slash transfer cash in Covid-19 era
Samuel Agini in London
The world’s football clubs slashed their spending on blockbuster player transfers this summer as the coronavirus pandemic hit their revenues and fans were locked out of stadiums.
With Lionel Messi opting to stay at Barcelona instead of forcing a move to another club, the market lost what would have been its biggest ever deal.
Transfer spending dropped by almost a third compared with last year, underlining the challenge facing football clubs.
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Sotheby’s records 40%-plus rise in sales online
George Russell in Hong Kong
Auction house Sotheby's, forced to hold events online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, ended its Hong Kong autumn series with sales of $432m, more than 40 per cent above its 2019 figure.
“What we have seen over this last week is a resounding demonstration of how Asia has weathered the pandemic and emerged as strong as ever," said Kevin Ching, chief executive of Sotheby’s Asia.
A 75-minute bidding war resulted in a rare Yuan dynasty imperial scroll, Ren Renfa’s Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback, pictured, selling for $39.6m to the Long Museum in Shanghai. The scroll was the most expensive piece of art auctioned in Asia this year.
Earlier, the Pola Museum of Art in Hakone, Japan, acquired Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild for $27.7m, the highest price achieved for any Western artwork sold at auction in Asia.
“It was exciting to see Asian museums locking horns with top collectors, and taking home the two top lots of the season," Mr Ching said.
UK faces legal action over northern pub closures
Andy Bounds in Huddersfield
Britain’s hospitality industry has launched a legal challenge to stop government plans forcing pubs and other venues to close in a bid to tackle a surge in coronavirus cases.
The Night Time Industries Association and The British Beer and Pub Association, as well as restaurants and breweries across the north of England, have moved to prevent measures being imposed this week.
The judicial review will argue that there is no evidence that hospitality venues have contributed to the spread of Covid-19.
Revellers in Liverpool are braced for pub closures
The Scottish government has already forced bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding cities to close.
Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, is expected to announce on Monday that restrictions will be imposed across the Liverpool city region and nearby Warrington.
The government could also impose the same measures in Greater Manchester.
Sacha Lord, an adviser to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, is spearheading the legal proceedings.
"There is currently no tangible scientific evidence to merit a full closure of the hospitality and entertainment sectors," Mr Lord said.
Under English law, a judge could suspend the government’s measures pending a hearing of the case.
More cases feared in Yemen than official data suggest
A pro-government militiaman in Marib, Yemen
George Russell in Hong Kong
Yemen, racked by civil war, is likely to have many more than the official 2,051 coronavirus cases recorded by the internationally recognised government, aid agencies said.
There are only six functional testing facilities in Yemen where slightly more than 10,000 tests have been conducted since the pandemic reached the Middle East country in March.
"Limited access to Covid-19 patient data and limitations on testing capacity remain a cause for concern for the humanitarian community,” a spokeswoman for the UN migration agency said on Sunday.
The International Organization for Migration office in Sana'a, the capital, said second and third waves have become increasingly likely.
"While official reports indicate that the number of reported Covid-19 cases is decreasing, there is limited available data," the IOM spokeswoman said.
That is due to insufficient testing and surveillance, and with fewer people reporting willingness to approach health facilities for support.
In Marib governorate in the country’s north-east, where fighting has occurred in recent weeks between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels, 51 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 793 suspected cases have been reported.
Marib accounted for less than 2 per cent of the country’s pre-war population. Nationally, Yemen has reported 594 deaths during the pandemic.
Jakarta to ease restrictions on businesses
George Russell in Hong Kong
Jakarta's metropolitan government announced it would ease restrictions on businesses and physical distancing from Monday.
Authorities issued a statement saying that the rise in the number of positive and active cases of Covid-19 has slowed in the past two weeks and the Indonesian capital would trial its “transitional large-scale social restrictions” until October 25.
The new measures would allow half of workers to return to offices of non-essential businesses, while restaurants would be able to accept dine-in customers up to 50 per cent of capacity.
Some civic amenities would resume with limited services, such as parks and museums.
Jakarta's governor, Anies Baswedan, said in a statement that the decision to relax curbs was based on several public health indicators, including daily case reports, daily death cases, active case trends and hospital admission levels.
He said new positive cases had increased 22 per cent between September 26 and October 9, down from the 31 per cent increase in the previous two-week period.
"Once stable, we [will] begin to reduce the brakes slowly, gradually," the governor said. "We need to emphasise that discipline must remain high so that the chain of transmission remains under control and we do not have to [use] the emergency brakes again."
In total, more than 329,000 cases, with 11,765 deaths, have been reported among Indonesia's 267m people.
Jakarta, with a population of 11m, has reported 85,574 cases, with 1,871 deaths.
The capital's R number, the average number of new cases generated by an infected individual, has fallen to 1.07 this week from 1.14 at the beginning of September.
Rugby match played amid spectator caution
New Zealand's Ministry of Health asked fans at the Australia vs New Zealand rugby match on Sunday to "play it safe".
The opening Bledisloe Cup match between the archrivals was held in Wellington, which is at the lowest Covid-19 alert level, with no restrictions on events or gathering sizes.
The ministry recommended keeping a safe distance from strangers at the Sky Stadium.
New Zealanders might have been exercising caution anyway. Just 29,500 tickets were sold, the lowest Bledisloe Cup attendance since 2012.
The match, the first in international rugby since March, ended in a 16-16 draw.
Schoolchildren suffer in India's lockdown
Children in Chennai watch a televised class
Amy Kazmin and Jyotsna Singh in New Delhi
The pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on India’s estimated 270m schoolchildren, who have not seen the inside of a classroom since March — and may not return this year at all.
For decades, India has struggled to entice children into school and teach basic skills, while poor families have embraced education as a ticket to greater prosperity. Many scraped together the fees for low-cost private schools.
Coronavirus has set back those efforts. Elite private schools and top government schools have made a smooth transition to virtual classrooms, though concerns about excessive screen time have curbed instruction.
Read more here
Canadians gather for low-key Thanksgiving
Canadians will celebrate their annual Thanksgiving day on Monday, encouraged by government leaders to meet in smaller gatherings than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities urged Canadians to spend the long weekend only with their immediate household.
"This year, we will have to make adjustments in order to ensure everyone remains healthy and safe," said Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, the country's most populous province.
Medical advice to limit the size of groups celebrating the annual harvest festival to 10 people or less was "not enough", Mr Ford said. "We must all do our part to keep gathering sizes small by sticking to our immediate households."
Canadians living alone were encouraged to join another household. "Please take the necessary precautions to keep gatherings small," Mr Ford said.
Earlier, prime minister Justin Trudeau had warned that Covid-19 was likely to be worse in the northern autumn than in the spring.
“It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving but we still have a shot at
Christmas,” he said in a television address.
Morgan Stanley rebuilds fixed-income division
Laura Noonan in New York
Morgan Stanley has added back hundreds of jobs in its fixed-income division, which was shrunk in a pivotal 2015 restructuring that saw the bank move away from trading bonds, currencies and commodities.
Defying expectations — and predictions from rivals — that it was throwing in the towel, Morgan Stanley’s fixed-income revenues began to rise almost immediately after its decision to cut 25 per cent of the division’s resources.
The growth accelerated in recent years, culminating in record revenues of $3bn in the second quarter of 2020, a level that chief executive James Gorman said was driven by extraordinary market conditions and would not be repeated.
Read more here
Hong Kong researchers to unveil new treatment
George Russell in Hong Kong
Hong Kong researchers on Monday will unveil a new treatment proposed for Covid-19.
The University of Hong Kong team, led by Sun Hongzhe and Kwok Yung-yuen, say they have discovered a novel antiviral strategy using metallodrugs used in the treatment of other infectious diseases.
“Ranitidine bismuth citrate suppressed SARS-CoV-2 replication, leading to decreased viral loads in both upper and lower respiratory tracts,“ the researchers said in a paper published in Nature Microbiology this month, using the virus’s scientific name.
The trial was carried out on Syrian golden hamsters.
“The findings provide a new and readily available therapeutic option with high clinical potential for infection with SARS-CoV-2,“ the university said in a statement. “A related patent has been filed in the US.“
Prof Sun is a professor in bioinorganic chemistry at HKU's faculty of science, while Prof Kwok is a professor in infectious diseases in the university's medicine faculty.
Victoria extends state of disaster restrictions
George Russell in Hong Kong
Australia's state of Victoria continues to see new cases of coronavirus as authorities on Sunday extended a “state of disaster” to November 8.
Premier Daniel Andrews said at a news conference that health authorities are battling a “stubborn tail” of the state's second wave of infections.
Victoria recorded 15 new cases and no deaths on Monday after 12 new cases and one death on Sunday. There are 21 Victorians in hospital with Covid-19. None are in intensive care.
The state of 6.4m people has been under a state of emergency since March 16, enabling authorities to mandate face masks, order work-from-home rules and apply limits on gatherings.
A state of disaster, enacted on August 2, allows the government to impose curfews if necessary. Mr Andrews said the state of disaster “gives us extra powers, which will be used wisely and not unless they need to be”.
A poster in Melbourne counters Covid-19 disinformation
From Monday, businesses in the state's regional centres will have to check the addresses of customers when taking bookings for restaurants and accommodation to ensure people are not travelling from the state capital of Melbourne.
Any business that does not comply faces fines of up to A$10,000 (US$7,200).
Mr Andrews said the pandemic restrictions were further complicated by localised floods and the arrival of a potentially dangerous fire season.
The country's most populous state, New South Wales, recorded five new cases on Sunday, three of which are locally transmitted and two are arrivals from overseas, state authorities reported.
Kim shows off missile despite sanctions and Covid-19
Edward White in Wellington
Kim Jong Un has unveiled North Korea’s biggest ever intercontinental ballistic missile, highlighting his determination to develop the nation’s nuclear weapons capability despite tough international sanctions.
Mr Kim’s showcasing of his military prowess comes as international experts say North Korea is facing its worst economic crisis in at least 10 years.
Strictly enforced coronavirus-related border closures have led to a plunge in trade with China and the country has been hit by extreme flooding, exacerbating the severe hit to state finances stemming from several years of tough US and UN sanctions.
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Sunak most competent over handling Covid, poll finds
George Russell in Hong Kong
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak is the only senior British minister with a net positive rating for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, a poll has found.
The Opinium survey found 45 per cent approve of how the chancellor has responded to the crisis with 23 per cent disapproving. Almost two-fifths think he has acted competently.
In comparison, 42 per cent think prime minister Boris Johnson is out of his depth handling the government’s coronavirus response.
For health secretary Matt Hancock, 37 per cent believe he is out of his depth.
The British public support the latest Covid-19 restrictions, the poll found.
More than seven in 10 believe people should work from home wherever possible, and a similar proportion agree that face masks should be compulsory for bar staff and non-seated customers, shop workers and waiters.
More than half think the “rule of six” limits on gathering should continue through Christmas.
Support for 10pm pub closures has dwindled, however, with 44 per cent supporting the measure and 27 per cent opposing. Two weeks ago, 58 per cent backed the early closing and only 16 per cent opposed.
Opinium polled 2,001 UK adults on October 8 and 9.
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Mayors in northern England have asked MPs across the region to force the government to improve the financial support offered to people and businesses hit by local lockdown measures and prevent tens of thousands of job losses. Paying people just 66 per cent of their salary to stay at home and offering small grants to businesses is not enough, the mayors said.
One in 10 companies owned by private equity managers is in “intensive care“ as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, sparking concerns that alternative funds could suffer performance hits and reputational damage. Private equity managers reported that half of the companies they owned were moderately or very affected by the global health crisis.
Hundreds of people critical to the UK’s fight against Covid-19, including medical staff and community volunteers, received awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Recipients included Felicia Kwaku, associate director of nursing at King’s College Hospital in south London.
Leading global health and development bodies are launching a $10bn research fund to fight brain disease and mental illness — a huge problem exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The Healthy Brains Global Initiative aims to do for mental health what the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has achieved in reducing infectious diseases.
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John Henry, owner of Liverpool football club and the Boston Red Sox baseball team, is in talks to publicly list his sports holdings in a merger with a blank-cheque company. The potential for a listing comes as franchises grapple with the effects of the pandemic, leading to substantial losses this season.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook is expected to unveil new handsets, presumably called the iPhone 12 and 5G-equipped, at a virtual event scheduled for Tuesday. “You’ve got people that have been holding on to their devices, especially through the pandemic,” said Wayne Lam, an independent analyst. “So this is going to be of huge importance to them and to the industry.”
Freeport Indonesia said it has recorded a sharp decline in Covid-19 cases at its Grasberg mine in Papua during the third quarter, the country's official media said at the weekend. The gold mine, which employs 30,000 people, has recorded 724 cases and five deaths. Seventy Covid-19-positive employees are now in isolation, the Antara news agency reported.
Instacart, the US grocery delivery company, has interviewed investment banks to advise on a public listing, as it looks to capitalise on a boom in business during the pandemic. The San Francisco-based company said it had raised $200m in new funding, bringing its valuation to $17.7bn.
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